Associate Director, Paid Social

Darkroom is a leading next-generation growth marketing firm specializing in performance media, AI commerce, and innovative brand strategies. They focus on measurable impact and rapid growth for high-growth brands, leveraging proprietary technology and data infrastructure.

Location: Remote (US)

Salary: $120,000 per year

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the overarching paid social strategy across a portfolio of high-growth U.S. brands, ensuring alignment between media investment, creative output, and business objectives.
• Serve as the executive point of contact for senior client stakeholders — presenting quarterly business reviews, growth roadmaps, and performance forecasts to CMOs and marketing leadership.
• Partner with the Managing Director to define team OKRs, capacity planning, and service delivery standards across the Paid Social practice.
• Champion Darkroom's paid social point of view, staying ahead of platform changes, algorithmic shifts, and emerging formats to inform both client strategy and internal best practices.
• Lead the development of annual and quarterly paid media plans, including budget allocation, channel mix, audience strategy, and creative roadmaps.
• Oversee campaign architecture, optimization frameworks, and testing methodologies across 8–15 paid media accounts with aggregate monthly spends ranging from $500K–$5M+.
• Drive performance across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Axon, and CTV, with mastery of direct response principles and short-form video creative strategy.
• Establish and enforce KPI frameworks — CPA, CAC, iROAS, nCAC, MER, aMER, CTR, TSR, and Hold Rate — ensuring data-driven decision-making.
• Architect and pressure-test attribution models in partnership with Analytics, ensuring clients have a clear view of cross-channel performance.
• Identify growth opportunities through competitive intelligence, audience expansion, and creative iteration.
• Serve as a senior creative strategist on accounts, guiding clients and creative teams on messaging, format, and testing frameworks.
• Develop scalable creative testing systems connecting production investment to performance outcomes.
• Advise clients on creative budget allocation across UGC, motion, static, and short-form video.
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of Paid Social Managers and Specialists, fostering a culture of accountability.
• Conduct performance reviews and build growth plans for direct reports.
• Establish internal quality standards for campaign builds, reporting, and client deliverables.
• Act as an escalation point for performance challenges and client issues.

Requirements

• 10+ years of paid media advertising experience, with at least 7+ years specializing in Paid Social and Meta.
• 7+ years managing paid social advertising for high-growth consumer brands with monthly spends of $1M+.
• Experience leading and developing a team of 3+ paid media practitioners.
• Proven track record of scaling Meta ad accounts beyond $1M USD/month.
• Executive-level client management skills, with ability to build trust with CMOs and senior marketing leaders.
• Expert-level command of Meta Ads Manager and familiarity with TikTok Ads, Pinterest, and emerging platforms.
• Mastery of e-commerce performance metrics and translating them into client narratives.
• Expertise in full-funnel creative strategy and data-driven decision-making.
• Strong background in budget forecasting and spend projection modeling.
• Comfort engaging with e-commerce P&Ls and financial metrics.
• Exceptional communication skills.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO + US holidays.
• Remote-First Culture with hybrid options for NY and Lisbon HQs.
• Health & Wellness coverage including medical, dental, and vision.
• Retirement plan with 401(k) and company match.
• Flexible parental leave.
• Growth opportunities and exposure to diverse roles.

Additional Information

• The role is based in New York with a salary range of $120,000/year.
• The position is full-time and offers performance-based compensation.
• Darkroom values autonomy, accountability, and high performance, fostering a supportive environment.